Interesting Facts about Wild Turkeys

Wild turkeys are native to North America. They live in wooded habitats. Wild turkeys have dark-colored feathers that help them to blend into their surroundings. Wild turkeys are not the same turkeys that you eat for Thanksgiving. There are domesticated versions of wild turkeys are bred for human food.

Did you know?

The scientific name for wild turkey is Meleagris gallopavo.

Wild turkeys fly and they sleep in trees.

Wild turkeys can fly as fast as 55 miles per hour, but they do not fly for very long.

Wild turkeys can run as fast as 25 miles per hour.

Wild turkeys are about three to four feet tall. Male wild turkeys weigh between 16 to 24 pounds, and females weigh 8 to 10 pounds.

Male wild turkeys are called toms or gobblers. Female wild turkeys are called hens. Young male wild turkeys are called jakes, and females are called jenneys.

The head of a wild turkey is bald, but their bodies are covered in more than 5,000 feathers. Similar to peacocks, male wild turkeys use their feathers to attract mates. You can tell the difference between a male and a female wild turkey by the color of their feathers. Tom turkeys are more colorful than hens.